Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-04-21
A WOMAN BANK SWINDLER
Mrs. Sarah E. Howe, of Woman Bank
Fame. Again Disappears With
$4,000.
warrants Issued for Her Arrest. and
the Police Looking for Her. but
She is not to be Found.

BOSTON, Mass April 15.-The Woman's
oank, or Ladies' Deposit as it was form
erly called, the mysterious swindle which.
when II was exposed three years ago. as
tractec the attention of the entire conn
try because of its novelty and the i'm
menslty OF Its operations, has again ex-
plodsd, and tonight the police are look
ing Tor Mrs. Sarah &. Howe, its so-called
president. Mrs. Howe was, it NAV be re-
memoered, convicted Of swindling, and
sentenced to three years in the honse of
correclon, sentence which evoked the
published anathemas of Gail Hamilton
and other numerous other strong-nindad
but luoglcal women, who indignantly ex
CLAIMED against the destruction of n
philanthropic enterprise which was cal
culated to UNNECESSARILY benefit the weak
er sex.
Upon emerging from prison Mrs. Howe
resumed business, and her credulous
dupes are this time again numbered by
the hundreds. She adhered to her orig
inal plan, which was to receive deposits
and pay thereon the extraordinary inter
est OF per cent. month. No men were
TO be permitted to share in this bounty:
1t was solely for poor women, and the
poor women eagerly bit at the hook. The
conplete expe:ure of the fraudulent
character of the scheme which was made
In the newspapers has apparently had
little or no effect upon the business of
the so-called bank, and the house on West
Concord street where Mrs. Howe has of
late held forth, has been freeuented at
al hours oy women from all sections of
New England.
Last evening sharp down-east girl,
MISS sophie Sanderson, of Augusta, Me-,
rang the bell.
lis Mrs. Howe imp" was asked.
mo, she is not in" was the reply.
when will she be in? I'm one of the
depositors in her bank, and must see her."
said the young lady.
MRS HOWE HAS SKIPPED,
and taken $4,000 with her." said the man,
and he shut the door, as if it was I'M
necessary to say anything further.
Miss Sanderson at once placed the case
in the hands of the police. According to
her story, and there are hundreds like it,
she disposited $40 with Mrs. Howe last
December, upon the advice of a friend,
who told her that Mrs. Howe's scheme was
good thing to go into Mrs. Howe ac-
cepted the $40, agreeing to allow her ST
that Is, she might call for it at the end of
three menths, and would then be given
800 which would be the $40 principal and
$21 interest. At the end Of three months,
or in March, Miss Sanderson came to this
city from Augusta, Me-, and called upon
to get her money. She was informed
that Mrs. Howe was and had been sick
and that she could not attend to her Just
then, but that if she could come in April
she could get the 500 with $21
interest. Miss Sanderson was inclin-
ed to be suspicious, but she Thought
that she would wait a month and
see what Mrs. Howe would say or do. She
came to Boston yesterday, with the result
above stated. The police have known all
along that Mrs. Howe had resumed her
former business, but having received no
complaints they had taken no action in
the matter. Some Of the woman's dupes,
it is said, learned a fortnight ago that
there was danger of her skipping out,"
but so blind was their confidence in her
philanthropy and disinterested benevo
lence that they did not even ask for their
money.
Miss Sanderson has obtained little aid
in her search for the swindler. The dis
trict attorney and the municipal court
Judge both declined 10 issue warrant,
saving that Mrs. Howe had SO covered
herself in her transactions that she could
not be convicted. The police officers who
are at work on the case were then in
formed by her that she could produce
three other women who could swear that
they have been swindled at the "bank,"
and an hour was set for consultation,
but it passed without the appearance of
the women. They have probably been
Quoted into believing that everything Is
all right. It is said that there have been
many large Withdrawals from the "bank"
of late, and that Mrs. Howe fed in the
antici pat1on of the time when, being
without an inflow of deposits, she would